Live or Die! Illegal Parking near Milagres Hall results in 2 Ambulances Stuck in Traffic Jam

By
Alfie Dsouza, Team Mangalorean.
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Live or Die! Illegal Parking near Milagres Hall results in 2 Ambulances Stuck in Traffic Jam

Mangaluru: Seems like ONLY Team Mangalorean is concerned about the traffic chaos on Falnir Road in front of Milagres Golden Jubilee Hall, while OTHERS give a damn about it. The last time our City Traffic cops cracked down on the illegally parked vehicles on this stretch of the road on both sides was during the Traffic Safety month, and after that, it has been the same issue like always. During the Traffic Awareness and Safety Week, the City Traffic Police did a big show by locking wheels of the illegally parked cars, cracking down on other traffic violations, Drunk Driving, etc etc- but now that the Traffic Safety Month is over, our police give a damn to what motorists do.

During the Traffic Safety month last year, the cops locked the wheels of vehicles parked on the stretch of Falnir Road, near Milagres Centenary Hall, during a wedding reception during the afternoon hours- and after that day, the cops had locked the wheels one more time- but since then there have been so many weddings at this Hall, and motorists have been parking on this stretch, creating traffic jams and chaos. And just two days ago, there was a wedding during the afternoon hours, and traffic jam was so much, that two ambulances caught in that chaos had to wait for a long time before they could wade through the congestion. Does anyone care for the life of a person transported in an ambulance? And this has been the situation every time a wedding reception takes place at this hall. Are the Traffic Cops aware of this? I guess not!

The Hall management does nothing about nor does the traffic police department. How hard it is to have more security persons near the hall gate to advise the motorists not to park on the street, instead use the two parking lots provided by the Hall. I think they can do it when big bucks are charged as rent, but all in vain. Two days ago the guests had parked their vehicles wherever they want on the street, to make things worse for other motorists-and even for the two Ambulances which were stuck for nearly 10 minutes in this traffic jam- and who is the reason for this? Off course, the guests attending the wedding reception, who had parked their vehicles illegally, even when the Hall management have provided ample parking spaces nearby to the Hall- but people don’t want to walk a few steps more after parking their vehicles at these parking spaces. Bah humbug!

Whenever there is a wedding at Milagres Hall, commuters are the worst hit with illegal parking creating traffic snarls on this Falnir Road. It’s always a mess near this said Hall, where the commuters and motorists are very much affected. This situation has been going on for months and years, and still, no one has come to a solution, where this problem could be eased out. Everyone is playing a blame game- the management has their own reasons to tell, Security personnel blame on the guests for not obeying them, while others blame it on the Traffic police for not enforcing strict laws.

These Two Ambulances got stuck in the Traffic Jam for over 10 minutes

And even though every Friday during the Police Commissioner’s Phone-In programme when people have complained about haphazard parking on streets, there has been no action taken, but ONLY ASSURANCES given by the Police Commissioner? So good is to have a phone-in programme if the traffic issues are not rectified. The complaints that pour in during the programme are mostly about illegal parking and other traffic violations made by the motorists. But action taken by the cops is very little.

During every wedding season, or probably throughout the year, whenever there is a huge wedding or a mega event, especially during the daytime hours, the stretch of the road in front of Milagres Hall faces acute traffic congestion in the evening hours. And the beginning of 2019 has been no different. The movement of public transport facilities, such as buses and auto-rickshaws, also get affected, apart from other private vehicles. Also facing problems are the ambulances who want to reach the hospitals or clinics in time, before the condition of the person gets worse.

But in spite of all these inconveniences and hardships faced by the commuters and motorists due to traffic parking near the Hall, no one from the hall management nor the Mangaluru City Corporation nor the Mangaluru City Police are least bothered about it. Apart from blaming these concerned authorities, the guests also need to be blamed, because, in spite of various parking options provided by the Church Hall management, motorists still park their vehicles on either side of the road, thereby creating traffic chaos. The Milagres Hall has provided parking space behind Harsha Showroom, and also one huge parking space opposite Hotel Moti Mahal (near Horse Riding Academy). And sometimes they allow using the ample parking space in the Milagres Church parking lot.

But unfortunately, people are lazy to walk a little distance from the wedding/event hall to these parking lots -instead park their vehicles on the roadside, thereby creating traffic woes. While the guests are trying to park their vehicles or trying to enter/exit out of the Hall, lead to traffic congestion and make motorists wait on the road for long. Illegally parked vehicles near wedding venues constrict road width leading to a traffic jam. As the civic authorities and police do not take any action, it seems like citizens are forced to suffer. The reason I decided to write this report, having concerns towards patients being taken to hospital in ambulances, and when they are stuck in such traffic jams due to citizens ignorance, it is time that someone rectifies the problem.

Death does strike aboard the ambulance too but there is no way it is declared as such. Most ‘brought dead’ and ‘died en route’ cases happen where there is a time lapse in shifting the patient from one place to another due to traffic snarls, the bane of Mangaluru. And mainly due to the chaos on the road, especially during peak hours or traffic jams by illegal parking. Our roads are not ambulance friendly most often. Just imagine the fate of the patients inside the ambulances- But do these wedding guests or the hall management or the traffic police know about it or even bother to care about it?

With such kind of situation facing due to parking pertaining to this hall, it is advisable that more security personnel need to be employed or arrangement should be made with the traffic police so that there is a smooth flow of traffic on this stretch of the road. When a huge sum of rent is charged for the hall, it would be nice and appreciable that extra security and proper arrangements could be added to the existing ones, so that others won’t suffer just because someone is getting married that day? There should be a model where the hospital can coordinate with police till the patient in the stuck ambulance is reached to the hospital at the earliest.

Hardly anyone uses the two parking spaces provided by the Hall Management- only a few avail the facility!

It is every citizen’s responsibility to respect the value of life. Lack of awareness among motorists and the general public about the seriousness of ambulance movement is disheartening. The police, hospitals, event halls and citizens have to chip in to solve this serious problem. Sometimes ambulances are used for sundry or personal purposes. That’s why instead of making way for it, many motorists try to jump traffic along with the ambulance. But there must be a solution where everyone understands responsibilities and acts accordingly. Hoping that the Parking Woes and Traffic Congestion will be looked into and eased out at the earliest before someone dies in an ambulance because of this carelessness and ignorance. Period!

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